Personnel updates and Kelly press conference highlights

The Ducks were in full pads inside the Moshofsky Center this morning, typically one of their biggest work days of the week prior to each game.

Receiver Josh Huff and running back Kenjon Barner were in pads and looked good to go after missing the last two games, one day after safety John Boyett seemed fine after missing a game. Kicker Rob Beard was also in pads but was walking with a bit of a hitch, so I won't be surprised if Alejandro Maldonado is again the placekicker on Saturday at Arizona.

The official pre-game two-deep released today generally reflects the rotations used against Missouri State. Rahsaan Vaughn is still listed ahead of Huff at receiver, and Cliff Harris is nowhere to be found, but I suspect that could change by Saturday night.

The listed starters at inside linebacker remain Dewitt Stuckey and Michael Clay, despite Clay's injury that sidelined him last week and cleared a path for Kiko Alonso to start. Alonso is now at least listed in the two-deep, behind Stuckey.

The only other change is the absence of Ramsen Golpashin on the offensive line, after he suffered a knee injury that sidelined him against Missouri State. It's believed to be a serious injury, and Chip Kelly today said he didn't know whether Golpashin would make it back this season. Mana Greig is now listed as the backup left guard behind Carson York.

Kelly addressed the Golpashin question during his weekly pre-game press conference with reporters, and here are some other highlights:

(On what it will take to win a third straight conference title) "I've said this before, the last two mean absolutely nothing, because this is an entirely different team. We had great chemistry and attitude on the last two teams, but the 2011 team is very different form the '09 team and even the '10 team, just because we lost so many players off last year s team. Those last two teams I can comment on, in terms of their chemistry and attitude; this team right now, we're still trying to figure out where we are with everything. … (That said) … First and foremost you've got to have playmakers, kids that can make plays for you. And we had those the last two years, and will continue to try to develop them on this year's team. Any team that wins a championship, it's always based on the players that you have in the program. College football is a personnel-driven deal,. and usually the teams that have the best players are the teams that are on top."

(On Darron Thomas' recent improvements)"I think he's doing a better job of understanding exactly where everybody is in our passing game, and taking advantage of what the defense is doing. He's also done a better job I think in his fundamentals, form a footwork standpoint and ball-handling standpoint, which I think is a natural maturation after playing one year. Last year he knew where everybody was and what he was supposed to do, but really now the 'hows' and the intricacies of how to do that are things that he's starting to really work on extensively. … And the biggest thing with Darron now besides the 'hows' is also the 'whys' – why are we doing this in this situation? what ware we trying to do? — and really understanding the game. He's a real student of the game and has really developed from that standpoint. Spends a lot of time in the film room on his own, and has a lot of good questions every single week for myself and Mark Helfrich, our quarterbacks coach. It's fun when you have a kid that's such an active learner like he is."

(On NFL teams, including the Patriots, apparently imitating Oregon's tempo) "I haven't really got an opportunity to watch much NFL. But we didn't invent this style of football. Sam Wyche ran the hurry-up with the Cincinnati Bengals and Boomer Esiason; Jim Kelly did it with the Buffalo Bills in the K-Gun and all that. I think I would be a little full of myself if I said I think Tom Brady's studying the Oregon Ducks."

(On Tra Carson's early playing time and potential as a change-of-pace back) "I think Tra's progression has been outstanding. He's one of those kids that came in here, and I always say this as a compliment: He was never a freshman. From day one, he just picked things up, had a maturity to himself, and you kind of knew two or three days into it that this kid's got what it takes from a mentality standpoint to play early here. I don't think, and I don't understand when people say, just because he weighs more than LaMichael and Kenjon, our offense if you watch us doesn't change when Tra goes into the game. It's not like all of a sudden we line up in the Power-I and we're pounding Tra at you. Tra runs Inside Zone, Tra runs Outside Zone, Tra runs Sweep, and that's the main thing. The game plan when Tra's in the game doesn't change, and we don't make different calls because, 'Oh, Tra's in the game, so let's run that.' I think all of our running backs are physical guys that can run between the tackles, but also have the speed necessary to get outside, and can also be factors in the passing game. Tra fits into the same mold those other four guys do."

(On expansion rumors and how the addition of Texas or Oklahoma would affect recruiting) "I know nothing more than you guys know. Whatever's out there is that. I think these decisions are made at the commissioner level and president level, and they don't get down to the individual coaches. We really, and it's not coach-speak, our focus is on Arizona. We're not meeting on, like, hey, if this team comes into the league, can we go recruit in this area? I really don't konw. And the way it's going now, I wouldn't be surprised who comes into the league, I wouldn't be surprised who doesn't come into our league. … Those guys that we got from Colorado and Utah, that expansion, there's an opportunity to go play games in those towns now, but it really didn't change our approach."